A visitor to Barmouth has expressed her disgust at the lack of sanitary waste facilities in the town’s public toilets.

Georgina Watson from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire was so sickened by the use of ‘open buckets’ in the toilets situated between the railway station and the arcade, that she contacted Barmouth Town Council to alert them to the situation.

Recounting her message to the council, Mrs Watson said: “As a regular visitor to Barmouth for the last 20 years, I am appalled by the fact that the ladies’ toilets just have open buckets next to the seat to put used sanitary towels into.

“How degrading and embarrassing is this for menstruating females.”

“Apart from the embarrassment issue,” she added, “nobody likes to see used tampons and pads.

“I’m concerned about the health and safety aspect, not only for users of the toilets but for whatever poor soul has to empty them.

“Why are there not the usual, sealed disposal bins found in ladies’ toilets please?”

The town council responded to Mrs Watson’s complaint to say they “had passed this on to Gwynedd Council which is responsible for the public toilets”.

“Barmouth Town Council agree that the current situation is not acceptable. Thank you for raising this with us,” a town council spokesperson said.

Gwynedd Council responded to the town council, saying they were “attending to this matter with urgency”.

Mrs Watson, who loves Barmouth and has been visiting the town for over 20 years, hopes that is the case.

She said: “Apparently the open buckets were put there by the cleaning staff so prior to this there was nothing.

“The harbour toilets in Barmouth are the same.”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate that this is an important matter, and we are currently introducing improved facilities at our public toilets.

“Arrangements are being made to install improved facilities at those public toilets that are used most frequently in the first instance, and we will then be reviewing the arrangements to consider whether similar facilities are to be introduced to all public toilets.”

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